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Fire Engulfs Historic Building at Glasgow School of Art

By Kimiko De Freytas-Tamura May 23, 2014 1:28 pmMay 23, 2014 1:28 pm

LONDON — Firefighters in Scotland were battling to control a blaze on Friday that engulfed large parts of the Glasgow School of Art, one of Scotland’s most treasured buildings. There were no reports of any casualties, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said.

In addition to internal and external firefighting operations, three aerial rescue pumps were being used to douse the flames, they added. The fire began around half-past noon, they said.

“It is a significant fire, but the extent of the damage won’t be known until the completion of the firefighting operations,” said Mark McGeever, press officer for Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. Firefighters are “conscious of the iconic nature of the building and they are trying to salvage as much as they can.”

The BBC and other news outlets reported that the blaze appeared to have been started by a projector that had exploded in the basement of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh building, named after its architect, one of the pioneers of Modernism. The building opened in 1909, and was an example of the art nouveau style that dominated the early 20th century. Iain Connelly, president of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, said: “Scotland has seen the loss of an international treasure which reflects the genius of one of our greatest ever architects.”

A version of this article appears in print on 05/24/2014, on page C3 of the NewYork edition with the headline: Fire Engulfs Building at Glasgow School of Art.